Time flew by. At about four in the afternoon, a black SUV pulled over at the Sanders Residence. The door opened up, and out came a dashing Derek, wearing a suit. Four Shadow Division members followed Derek, and they were holding presents."This is the place, captain?" a member asked.Derek looked at the entrance. "Yes. I was raised in this household from four to ten years old. My aunt is just like a mother to me. And I have a cousin. We got along really well when we were kids. I wonder how she's doing."The thought of Queenie made Derek smile. "We should get inside." He led his team members into the residence.Yvette and George quickly ran up to Derek. "Derek, you're here. I've missed you!" Yvette hugged her nephew.Happily, Derek said, "Aunt Yvette!""Oh, you've grown a lot more handsome, Derek. Here, let me have a look at you." Yvette took a closer look at Derek."She missed you a lot, Derek. Sometimes, she would even call your name in her sleep," George said."Thank you. I'm
George froze in shock. A moment later, he asked in disbelief, "Really? He's that powerful?""Of course," said the member proudly.They weren't lying. Being the Shadow Division, all political leaders must work with them in any operation. Though Derek was just a captain, he could make Riverton's governor work with him if he had to.George was visibly excited. Yvette was happy as well."That is impressive, Derek. Come in. We'll talk inside. And you guys, too. Come in." George was more polite after that.He led Derek and his team members into the living room and quickly served them tea and cigarettes. Derek was feeling awkward.He, George, and Yvette chatted about life while the Shadow Division members sat silently. A long while later, Derek asked, "Where's Queenie? Ever since I left Riverton, I have never seen her. Is she alright?"Derek and Queenie played together often when they were kids. They grew up together and were close; he wanted to know how Queenie was doing.Yvette tear
"Don't worry, guys. I'll make sure I'll make that guy pay for what he did.""Thank you, Derek. That's good to hear," said George. "But the bastard can fight. You gotta be careful."The Shadow Division members laughed. "Don't worry, you two. No one fights better than us."George and Yvette were happy to hear that.Derek asked, "Where's Queenie? I want to see her."Yvette stood up. "I'll take you to her." She led Derek into the inner sanctum.Queenie was in her room, forlorn and gaunt. The days of starvation took away much of her weight. She was getting sallow, and she lay on her bed like a dead person.The door creaked. In came Yvette and Derek. The sight of Queenie made Yvette tear up. "She's here, Derek."Derek approached Queenie, and the sight of the cadaverous lady broke Derek's heart. "I'm here, Queenie."Queenie didn't move. She didn't seem to have heard Derek. Derek asked, "Remember me, Queenie? It's me, Derek."Queenie said nothing. Derek's heart sank.Yvette wiped he
"Give me your phone."The member handed his phone to Derek, and Derek called Nox.Nox was at Dragoncourt. His phone rang, and he picked up his phone. "Who is this?"Derek asked coldly, "Are you Greenshade?""Yes, and you are?" Nox asked."Not important. You know Queenie, don't you?"The look on Nox's face changed. "Who are you? How do you know Queenie?""You bastard. My cousin's been sick because of you, and you know nothing about it?" Derek asked angrily."She's sick? How is this possible?" Nox asked in surprise."It's your fault! If you're a man, you get here right now and apologize. If I get my hands on you, I'll make you regret it," said Derek coldly, and he hung up.The news of Queenie's sickness upset Nox majorly. "Jeb, get the car. We're going to the Sanderses' place."Keith was surprised. "What happened, milord?""My girlfriend is sick," Nox said."Your… girlfriend, milord?""Yes." Nox went down the mountain. Keith and Jebediah followed him quickly.…Nox felt h
Nox's look turned icy. "I'll say this only once. Out. Of. My. Way. I want to see Queenie!""What? And you'll hit me if I don't?" George stood up straighter, daring Nox to hit him.Nox would not stand for this. If it weren't for the fact he loved Queenie, he would've destroyed George a hundred times through the moment the fool insulted him."What's going on, you guys?" Derek asked. The Shadow Division members followed him."Just in time, Derek. See this? This is the bastard who cheated on Queenie. You gotta teach him a lesson." George pointed at Nox again.Derek turned his attention to Nox. "You're Greenshade? The guy who cheated on Queenie?""I'm Greenshade, but I didn't cheat on her," said Nox coldly."I'll give you props for coming here." Derek eyed Nox. For some reason, Derek felt a sense of pressure when he faced Nox, as if Nox was a god more than a man.Derek took a deep breath. "Why'd you hurt Queenie?""I did not," Nox answered."You deny it? I've seen men like you a t
Keith didn't even look at Derek. He approached Nox. "I am very sorry for the fools' harassment, milord. I have neglected discipline." He turned around and glared at Derek with fury.Derek shivered. "Comman—"Keith slammed his foot into Derek and sent him flying through the air. Derek fell with a thud and couldn't even get back up. Blood trickled down his mouth.George and Yvette were shocked. After Keith kicked Derek away, he turned to the remaining Shadow Division members. They were terrified."You bastards tried to attack him, didn't you?"The members quickly went down on their knees, shivering in fear."Mercy, commander! Mercy!""Mercy? What you did is punishable by death!" Keith roared.He was about to kill Derek's team members, but Nox said, "Keith, forget it.""Milord, these bastards should die for their insolence!" Keith was reluctant to stop."Are you going against me now?" Nox asked."I would never!" Keith said. He followed Nox's orders but turned to the terrified m
George could do nothing in the face of this kind of power. All Keith had to do was tighten his hold a bit more, and George would die.Derek quickly went down on his knees. "Commander, please, spare my uncle!""You think you're in any position to ask for favors?"Derek's final hope went up in smokes. Keith was not called the Butcher for nothing. Killing a thousand rogue organization members all by his lonesome was an impossible feat. No one in their right mind would dissuade the Butcher from doing what he wanted to do.Right before George could be killed, Nox stepped forth. "Keith, stop it.""Milord, the old git had the audacity to insult you. Please, let me slaughter him," Keith protested.Nox shot him a glare. Resigned, Keith sighed. "You're lucky, you old bastard. But if there's a next time, I will snap your neck." He swung George away, and the guy flew through the air.Nox didn't care about that. "I'll see Queenie. You guys stay here. And don't cause any trouble." Nox went in
Nox was confused. "What are you saying? When have I ever lied to you?" Nox quickly held down the uncontrollable Queenie."You liar! You still won't admit it?" Queenie glared at Nox, her eyes red."Admit what? I don't know what you're talking about," Nox answered."Fine, then why didn't you take my calls? And why haven't you called me back? I'm your girlfriend! I think about you every day, you know that?" Queenie kept crying like a baby."I'm sorry. I lost your number, and that's my fault." Nox wasn't at fault, but since Thalia deleted Queenie's number, Nox had no idea how to get it back.Queenie didn't understand his situation. She sneered. "You lost my number? I can't believe you came up with that kind of excuse.""I didn't! It's the truth!""It's the truth? Fine, then why'd you go on a date with another woman and hold her like she's your lover?"'What? A date?'"I didn't!" Nox was speechless."Oh yeah? See for yourself!" Queenie tossed her phone to Nox. Nox took it and saw
The talismans were Magic Mountain's Forbidden Art, and Nox had fused them with Ultimate Sun Dragon Manual. Nox's mentors back in Mystia had taught him the Sovereign Seal earlier than expected.Their goal was simple. If Nox became the Sovereign, he could use the seal to command all the natural energy around him. If he didn't become the Sovereign, he would teach the Sovereign how to use the seal.The Sovereign Seal was a Saintly technique and the most ancient technique around. It was stronger than a Celestial technique.A golden seal brighter than the sun slowly rose into the air. It was the Sovereign Seal.As it appeared, natural energy gathered around it. The energy flew into the relics Brundela took from Faeast. Within a museum not open to the public, a bronze sword started to tremble as natural energy flowed into it. That got the attention of a professor."That sword belonged to Faeast's Emperor Elijah! What is going on?"A silhouette came out of the sword, and his aura was maj
Back in the navy command center, Fergus got the drone footage of Brundela's latest development. There were a few generals from the Nox Army with him. They could see that the monsters in the capital were far stronger than the ones they took out."It's a pity the capital is too densely populated. We have the weapons, but we can't use them." Fergus slammed the table in frustration. Even if the capital were to fall into enemy hands and the people torn apart by the monsters, Fergus could not order his men to fire at the capital, or things would be bad for them.Fergus could only open fire if the monsters were in a no man's land."Commander Parrish, the lord has orders. We are to keep the waters guarded. Once the capital's crisis is over, we are to make our way to the port and give humanitarian aid," a Nox Army general said telepathically. He just got Nox's orders."Is that so? Then Nox can stop this crisis." Fergus' eyes shone. He had no idea what Nox was planning, but he was the Sovere
Demons were walking the lands of Brundela. Legendary creatures were roaming the streets as if the end of days were here. The resurrected monsters were causing chaos everywhere. When the Titans showed themselves, despair washed over Brundela.There were too many monsters running around. Even after the Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators sent out everyone they had, it still wasn't enough to stop these creatures. The monsters went straight to the council hall, and so did the Titans.The Ice Temple Lord created a Magic Ice Formation and kept using Forbidden Arts and mystical artifacts to fend off the enemies. He had already done his best."You have to do something, Nine-State Lord. I can't hold on much longer!" the Ice Temple Lord said telepathically.Though monsters were about, they were not a threat to the Ice Temple Lord. he could leave anytime he wanted, but he had a deal with Nox. If he were to desert the battlefield, he would face a hell far worse than he could imagine late
Their targets were the relics around the altars. The moment the whirlpool showed up, the black energy conjured black walls and kept Brundela on lockdown, cutting off all communications.Possessed by evil spirits, gods from ancient civilizations came back to life. In the underground graveyard, the dead came bursting out of their coffins, and skeletons with phantom flames flickering around them charged at the holy knights and James' secret agents.Nothing more needed to be said. The holy knights' leader led the charge. The other knights resolved to fight to the death as they battled the skeleton gods.James and his secret agents fired off at the enemies, but the bullets did nothing to the skeletons. All they managed was to light a big spark. Only grenades and howitzers could deal damage to them, and even then, the damage was light.The battle was fierce. Though the knights did not fear death, they were still weaker than the prehistoric gods. These skeletons were nigh invincible, and
Nox was hovering higher than the Ice Temple Lord, and he got everyone's attention."Who's that?""It's a Faeastian!""My God, it's the Nine-State Lord!" Nox was known throughout Faeast and the world. Brundela's council members had recognized him the moment he showed up. They had nothing but fear for gods, yet Nox was the strongest man in the Mortal World, so they respected him.The clouds in Brundela's skies were hanging heavily over the ground, and the icy aura they radiated was making everyone shiver. Winter seemed to have come early for Brundela. The temperature was dipping fast.Back in the control center, intelligence agents were watching the surveillance footage closely, and they noticed the altar. The Twilight Order and Ice Temple cultivators were there, strengthening the altars' seal the best they could. There were soldiers guarding the altar as well.For some reason, the secret agents had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Murphy's Law, as they said.Suddenly,
A sliver of energy flew out of the puppet and gathered natural energy around it. Then, the temperature rose at a blistering rate. Fortunately, Bard's reminder came just in time, and Vermilion Bird was prepared for this. She led her team away from the spot.A pillar of fire engulfed the building, and heat waves shot off in every direction, lethal and deadly. The light eventually faded, and all buildings in a few hundred yards were razed to the ground.If Vermilion Bird had killed the puppet without thinking just now, she would have lost all her men and suffered serious injuries. "That bitch! I'm going to make her into a human swine one day! I'll give her hell!" she cursed.Bard gasped. 'Yeah, women can be really terrifying.' Not one General was a normal person.This incident didn't escape Nox, of course. He saw it through his divine sense. "Heh, you can't fight the flow of history? You say that, Aphrodite, but you've done the same thing more than once. Schemes and plots when your ey
Aphrodite was a master manipulator. She knew the weaknesses of Nox's underlings, and she praised Bard, "At least you know where you stand, Bard. You never overreach. Though we failed to make you one of us, I still thought it'd be a shame to kill you."Bard smiled. "Oh, you're such an actor, Ms. Mousse. You know why we don't like you? Queenie is a genuine lady, just like our lord. You're far inferior to her. And don't flatter yourself. Of course, I know where I stand. I can't even reach the pinnacle of martial arts, let alone cultivation."No matter how smart I am, my lack of talents holds me back. I can never be made an important leader." He was only spared because he couldn't become a threat to the Mousses.Nox didn't use schemes because he didn't need them. Absolute power could trump any plot.Vermilion Bird clenched her teeth. "What is the meaning of this? The lord knows that the bitch is here?"Bard shook his head. Vermilion Bird was a smart woman, but Aphrodite made her lose
Aphrodite felt nothing but sorrow, and Vermilion Bird burst into laughter. "I expected nothing less from these people. Your men are just like their employers. Hey, knights, you guys want to find out more about Faeast martial arts? See those Mousse guys? They're masters. Deal with them."Vermilion Bird gave her orders. She knew these people would escape the moment she showed up. The knights flew off, going after the escaped Mousses. The Mousses were a family of warriors, while these knights were cultivators, to an extent. They wore mystical artifacts, and the Mousses' guys didn't have something like that.The battle was fierce but short. The Mousses' powerhouses were taken out, and the rest were dealt with by the Shadow Division."And now only you're left. Interesting, isn't it? Karma always bites you in the ass. You betrayed my lord, and now your men betray you. You deserve this," Vermilion Bird cursed."Yes, I deserve this, but as long as he wants to be the Nine-State Lord, then w
'The beating heart of this land?' The woman's underlings looked grim. They were supposed to be the master tacticians here. Yet, Nox played them like a cheap kazoo. 'He's a far better tactician than we expected!'Nox began his counterattack not long after the Ocean of Death incident. This woman was none other than Aphrodite, Nox's old flame. When she saw Brundela's fate stabilizing, she knew right then that things had gotten out of her hands."Tell the Mousses in Eropa to retreat right away. There is no need to stay here any longer. He's not attacking us because he's waiting for us to do the same. The moment our men try to start anything, he'll swoop in and take them all out. "No one can beat him if he decides to go all the way. Not even me," said Aphrodite.Suddenly, the Mousses' powerhouse noticed something. "I sense bloodlust. Who goes there? Show yourself!" The powerhouses unsheathed their weapons and stood around Aphrodite, protecting her.A group of black silhouettes appeare